Robin Ventura

Ventura brought Gold Glove defense, professional at-bats, and the most unusual playoff hit in Mets history. He became part of the calm core that turned the late-1990s club into a pennant winner.

Ventura arrived before the 1999 season with a Gold Glove, a disciplined swing, and a reputation for being exactly the kind of professional the Mets needed. He did not come to New York to perform a personality. He took good at-bats, played third base beautifully, and fit into an infield that became one of the strongest defensive groups in the league.

His Mets story changed in the 1999 NLCS. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 15th inning, Ventura hit a grand slam that won the game—but a mob of teammates stopped him at first base before he could complete the jog. The ‘grand slam single’ became one of the strangest images in postseason history, and Ventura’s calm reaction made it even funnier.

He remained important during the 2000 pennant run and supplied leadership when the roster faced the pressure of New York’s first Subway Series in decades. Ventura was traded after that season, but his place in Mets memory is secure. The swing, the bases, the teammates swarming him, and the fact that he never seemed embarrassed by any of it made him a perfect Mets character.